


Remembrance

by Nezanie



Series: Liger Catra [2]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Genre: F/F, Fluff, au where queen angella knows catra's mum, redeemed catra has happened
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-26 16:50:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16685422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nezanie/pseuds/Nezanie
Summary: Catra's acclimatizes to life at Bright Moon and plays a playful prank on two unsuspecting princesses. The queen remembers and sees a good old friend in the girl.





	Remembrance

Remembrance

 

Catra didn’t like to wear her heart on her sleeves, she played with words and slipped around the people closest to her which meant she usually managed to evade any concerns. Theirs and her own.  Adora was easy to please but relentless never one to give up. She stuck close to her and her support was both endearing and somewhat cumbersome. Catra struggled to get used to the soothing atmosphere in the bright moon castle. Often the tension of war was palpable and to the ex-horde soldier a comfort at times. She did feel a little bit guilty about that, years of training and familiarising with weapons and warcraft couldn’t just be forgotten. Even Adora would sometimes slip back into the exercise drills when left to herself and admittingly Catra would join her more often than not for some semblance of normalcy she was used to, in a vain attempt to keep up with all the changes around them. 

 

Time was not on their side though, Hordak lost his second in command, and fortified his defense and soon would double his efforts to take Bright Moon. While the tension with Catra was still high he needed to strike fast. The princesses remained wary of her and Catra let them be, it made more sense to her to stay out of the way and enforce the idea she wouldn’t bother them if they did the same. She lied to herself like that. It had worked well enough and the battles remained at a stalemate, neither side relenting their areas to the other. 

 

It didn’t last long, the more they fought together, the more all of them got used to each other’s presence. The first one to approach Catra was the archer boy, it was amusing how he fumbled through small talk and she offered some offhand remarks that seemed to please him. Bow, or so he introduced himself as, didn’t stay too long and always knew when she wasn’t up for it. In the coming days, he’d look for her more often, and she gradually got used to his presence. On the battlefield, she made it a point to have his back, after all they were the only two who weren’t princesses. Soon after that, it was the queen’s daughter that approached her and the outcome was rather messy. She knew exactly who had pushed her to try,  _ ‘Meddlesome boy,’ _

 

Catra snorted remembering the black eye she sported for the coming days, Glimmer was not so keen to remember the event as fondly, her face had been scratched up and itched for days on end as the narrow lines Catra caused healed. Their fights became a sort of common event, always comical and bombastic, and the other princesses often teased them about the silly arguments they had. It pushed them to talk to Catra a little more openly, and in a strange turn of events, she found herself fitting in with the girls in her own way. They were more than just fancy royals, the girls were all their own quirky as heck person.

 

And soon enough, as fate and some coincidences, Glimmer and Catra were paired up and found themselves working well together even if the circumstances forced them to. Secluded and alone, they had talked finding their own worries overlapping. Coming to an understanding meant accepting one another and Ctra was surprised to feel that she didn’t mind. The anger she was used to bottling up in the horde wasn’t as ever present anymore.

 

The weeks turned to months and Catra’s favourite past time turned to messing with the princesses. She played the silliest of pranks and it offered her a way to destress without having to confide in her new gang. It was one of those slow, quiet days in between attacks when Catra spotted Adora and Glimmer chatting and laughing, enjoying the peace while it lasted. 

 

Cocking her head, ears flicking an deliciously mischievous idea sprang to her mind. At the very last second before she called out to the unexpecting duo, nearly slipping as her hand had already sprang up to greet them before impulsively changing her mind, she slid between some columns examining the area at hand. The corridor was vacant save for themselves, or so she thought, too enrapt in her games to notice anything but her prey. The Queen frowned at the spectacle before her, noting how her daughter and Adora seemed to be the targets and with a sigh she prepared to call for the feline girl. The words died in her throat as Queen Angella blinked at the self satisfied smirk Catra wore, a suppressed chuckle escaping her every now and then. The cheekiness something she had been familiar with, a trait shared by another she called a friend long ago. Angella’s mind spiralled into the possibility that seemed to reinforced day by day as she got used to the presence of the ex-Horde soldier. Perhaps it was time to face that plausible connection and trust the new generation with the past of Etheria not just it’s future. That was how the Queen found herself a spectator to Catra’s latest antics, nostalgia gripping her heart painfully.

 

They didn’t have their backs to Catra, both Glimmer and Adora were angled towards one of the many murals depicting the history of Bright moon, it was easy sneaking around to one of the statues by their side. She’d have the time of her life teasing them about how they hadn’t even noticed her climbing up on the pedestal and looking down at them from her perch. Whether she was on the good side or not, it always felt glorious having the higher ground. It took merely a second, though they had been trained to expect the unexpected at any time Catra went unnoticed. She wiggled her tush, the queen suppressed a laugh letting the tomfoolery unravel. With an expert eye she managed to aim her jump just before a sparkle of recognition lit up in Glimmer’s eyes. By then Catra was already airborne and freefalling.

 

“FOR the glory of epic dive bombs!” she cried spreading her arms wide and gloating in the sounds of the shrieks beneath her. It did a number on her ribs but it was certainly worth the aggravated expressions she was given

 

The trio was flung to the floor, Adora had slipped and couldn’t hold them and Glimmer in her shock forgot she could even warp away grabbing onto Adora’s jacket and pulling her down along with Catra’s entire being weighing them down. Adora was the first to react shoving Catra’s legs off and glaring at the grinning fiend. “Catra!” they both cried in perfect unison. Music to her cat ears! Glimmer groaned grumbling under her breath and teleported from beneath Catra’s upper body causing her to welp and fall on her back. Adora was onto her the next second, her hands grappling her in an attempt to submit her into a headlock. 

 

She shrugged in the hold feeling pretty confident, “It’s not my fault you guys are the slowest princesses in Etheria,” 

 

“You bloody…” Adora growled, smiling and taking it up as a challenge right away. Oh how they missed the good old days and scuffles.

 

Catra managed to slip away laughing mockingly, wearing the smuggest expression she could before hearing a pop above her.  _ ‘Oh Dang!’  _ The next thing she knew, she was on the floor once more, hands ruffling her hair into an even scruffier mess. 

 

She cried indignant, “That’s cheating, twinkles!”

 

“HaHA, all is fair in friendly squabbles!” Glimmer replied squishing her cheeks and being as obnoxious as possible. Catra made it a point to shove her away, elbowing her, hand in the princesses face and all. She mewled when she felt a pinching sensation on her side. 

 

“Adora, that’s foul play!” Catra swatted the hand away but Glimmer made it all more difficult messing with her hair and face. Adora gave Glimmer a nod who winked back. They were ganging up on her.

 

Adora grinned wickedly meeting Catra’s warning stare full on, “As if that’s ever stopped me before,” 

 

Glimmer gushed as Catra couldn’t help but laugh out with Adora’s well aimed pokes getting more and more tickly. Glimmer went in for the kill aiming for her neck. Catra promised divine retribution for exploiting her weak point, but then again, she might have deserved it just a tinsy bit. Feathery touches reaching her most aggravating spots and reducing her to a mewling, giggly mess. Catra was sure she must have broken somebody’s rib with all the thrashing around she was doing and eventually she managed to grab Adora’s collar and pull her down. The empty corridor was filled with the laughter of the three teenagers as they rolled around trying to get the better of one another.

 

“I give, I give,” Catra dramatically huffed and puffed, although she really did need to catch her breath.

 

Glimmer chuckled by her side waving her hands in excitement, “I can’t believe you’re-”

 

“AH uh, don’t finish that sentence, I can barely take this knucklehead-,” Catra pointed her thumb to her other side were a satisfied Adora stretched her arms raised high above her head, “-using it against me,”

 

Glimmer rolled her eyes, sitting upright accepting a well earned high five from Adora, beneath them Catra stuck her tongue out at them with quite a vocal ‘Bleh’. The three burst in chortles feeling liberated more than anything, up until they heard the clicking of heels close by them. 

 

Catra jumped right up to her feet as the Queen of Bright Moon approached them. She felt the woman’s eyes on her more often than not, and she couldn’t really blame her. She accepted the suspicions that came from switching sides especially as the move had done nothing to mellow her sharp tongue. Adora and Glimmer followed glancing at her in question. They were mostly sympathetic, specially Adora who had been subjected to the same wariness. For Catra, it wasn’t that simple, there was something else beyond the doubt in those watchful eyes.

 

“I see you’re having fun,” Queen Angella smiled at them, cocking a brow at Catra’s tense posture, “At ease, we’re not soldiers here...Catra,”

 

Catra nodded trying to slouch a little, she couldn’t really relax, the queen had a similar kind of feel to Shadow Weaver and although she knew they were two completely different individuals it still proved a little unsettling to be addressed by the queen. The fact Angella used her name didn’t go unnoticed..

 

“We were just playing around Mum,” Glimmer cleared her throat a little bit embarrassed, she nudged Catra’s arm and gave her a supportive glance  _ ‘It’s just my mum,’ _ she seemed to say. Catra shrugged nonchalantly, it did help a little especially since she could feel Adora’s shoulder touch her own on the other side. 

 

“May I request your presence for a little...talk?” Queen Angella asked softly. Catra didn’t notice she was being addressed until the queen’s brow furrowed clearly looking straight at  her. She awaited her reply and not her daughter as she had assumed. 

 

“Eh ah sure?” 

 

The vague reply seemed to please her enough, a soft smile gracing the queen’s lips, her wings fluttering as she turned around expecting to be followed.

 

Catra glanced at Glimmer and Adora who could offer no explanation and instead a few pats on her back. Catra leaned down to whisper in Glimmer’s ear, “Your mother’s a vegetarian I hope,”

 

Glimmer snorted but added encouragingly, “It’s okay her bark’s scarier than her bite,” 

 

Adora shook her head at the exchange but gave her a quick thumbs up. It seemed she couldn’t count on her to make up an excuse this time. 

 

“Somehow that doesn’t reassure me,” she exhaled exaggeratingly and followed the woman making it a point to stay two steps behind her all the way.  The implication that there was bite to the Bright moon ruler’s wasn’t comforting. The queen looked back at her and smiled warmly, Catra felt herself flush due to her own childish antics. And in a way, it was a blessing, back in the Horde, there wasn’t really any time left to be a child amidst the adults. 

 

Catra stared at anything and anywhere from the brightly lit murals, the clean, pastel columns and didn’t notice Queen Angella had slowed down her pace until she glimpsed her by her side. She must have flinched because a hand found the small of her back and patted it. 

 

“It’s alright, take it easy,” she mumbled clearing her throat. The awkward effort effective to Catra who nodded and found herself appreciating what she considered a prime brownie point tactic more than anything because it was new to her. 

 

“Is this about my pranks? I was just playing,” she laughed nervously.  _ ‘Way to keep your cool, attagirl,’ _

 

Angella shook her head, bemused, “No, it’s about your roots, if you would listen to the rambling of an old royal stick in the mud,”

 

Catra grimaced, remembering her very exact words describing the queen before she had defected.

 

“I jest,” the teasing tone elicited a smile from Catra. And the atmosphere around them felt just a tad less tense. Who would’ve guessed, talking to others did do something other than tire her out. The offer still hung between them in the silence that followed.

 

Her roots, huh. She had always been curious about them, were there others like her? Had the horde taken them out, did she have parents, actual  _ real  _ parents, not fake ass guardians who played with her head and pitted her against others. Glancing at the queen, she wondered if her mother had been anything like her. Pretty, hard working, regal, a little bit clumsy with her daughter but full of love. 

 

“I’d like that, the root exploring thing, i mean,” Catra said quietly. If it meant she could find her own place in the word, outside of being someone’s right hand man, and getting her own goals in this war. It was worth the effort.

 

The queen’s wings ruffled and she clapped her hands enthusiastically, “Well, then, were to start!”

**Author's Note:**

> I might make a part two of this, but i think leaving open what the queen said has its charm. Follows the headcanons posted on my blog, ravedragon.tumblr.com


End file.
